How do we find legitimate information in this cacophony of written voices?

Recently I was on the Internet looking up some books that I’ve read to see what other people had to say about them. I came across one book and a lot of people had said it was very fraudulent and that actually the author was not the kind of person you’d want to associate with. This got me to thinking. There is so much information in our world today circulating by word of mouth, literature, media and now the Internet, which is a combination of all these and more. Anyone can write anything they want to, I mean look at me, I’m doing it right now. Who’s to say if what I’m writing is credible? How do we discern between the legitimate honest writer and the words of a fool twisting meanings to trap gullible knaves like myself? With the advent of the Internet we also have to take a new approach to gaining knowledge and accessing information from others.

In life, the best way to know anything is through one’s own experience right? The next best thing is to go to a trusted source of knowledge and wisdom, friend, family or professional. Still we always must be aware that human beings are perfectly flawed creatures, each one with areas of ignorance, fear and suffering. Sometimes we really have to go with our ‘gut’ feeling about something others have said. What about when you want to find out about something that no one you know has experience with?

On the Internet when researching topics of interest you can do a few things to try and decipher if a site is credible. When looking up something you know a little bit about, look for sites where the creator gives evidence of credentials. Of course these can be faked as well, but then you can make further searches about that person’s site and see what others have to say about it. If you don’t know anything about the subject in question, do a Google search. If a site is well regarded, it will usually have a lot of links relating to it from people who have accessed the information and found it to be helpful.

The main idea is to be aware of the possibilities out there in this overabundance of mouths spouting so-called wisdom. The nature of humanity is to be curious and to want to understand the existence that we are part of. Charlatans will take this into account when constructing their stories and concepts. There are so many scams on the Internet, not including the people whose opinions aren’t based in fact that believe they are sharing the ‘truth’.

In this age of exaggerated fear, sensationalist terror and melodramatic theater, we must be very careful not to be sucked into believing what we are being told. If the massive media corporations are giving us a subjective view of reality based on their personal interests and beliefs on what news is, then of course individuals can also express distorted perceptions of reality on the Web.

Do your research well. Don’t cut corners. Question everything you read.
You don’t necessarily have to be a cynic or even a skeptic. Just realize that it is very easy to open a mouth and speak, and speaking is probably one action that our society could do a lot less of. Maybe if we listened a little bit more instead of speaking so much, we wouldn’t need to search as often for the information that we need in life. Be awake and aware my friends. Keep those thinking caps on!

By Jesse S. Somer
M6.Net,
http://www.m6.net
Jesse S. Somer is a student of life searching for the truth out there.

Although the fake check scam is an old one and about 65% of the population are aware of it, scammers are constantly finding ways to improve their techniques and trap even the most computer/internet savvy of people.

So as technology progresses along, so does the online crime.

Heed my warnings to beware of any offer that you receive utilizing a "cashiers check" over the amount of what is being asked. The newest scam to date is the "phony job offer" coming through online job boards such as CareerBuilder.com, Monster.com, Dice.com, HotJobs.com etc. etc.

How it Works You are notified via e-mail with a job offer to act as a "Donations Processor" or something similar. You are e-mailed a link to a (fake) contract and asked to sign and fax it back.

Within a few days, you will receive a FedEx envelope containing a Cashiers Check in the amount if either $4500 or $7500. Your main contact will notify you via e-mail requesting the status of the funds. Once you have the funds available, which you likely will considering the banks will immediately release the monies of a cashiers check under $5000, you will be given instructions on how to and who to send the funds. You will likely be asked to wire the funds via Western Union but strongly instructed not to send the money as a "business" transaction but rather a "personal" transaction. Note: the needy somebody you are sending the funds to is always in Ukraine!

You will also be strongly instructed to not send the funds online, but to walk in to a Western Union office. You are told to keep 10% of the cashiers check for your time and efforts and to pay for the wire transfer funds out of the cashiers check as well. It is also likely that your wire transfer will be sent in two (2) different transactions to two (2) different names.

Within days, you will be notified by the bank that your account is being closed and that the check you deposited was a counterfeit. You will also be notified that you are possibly facing felony counterfeit charges for passing a fraudulent/counterfeit check.

Your original contact will fall off the internet planet. Your e-mails will be rejected and the website will be long gone.

Sound Stupid? Yes, while reading this article, it probably sounds obvious that this is a scam, but when you receive the job offer with the CareerBuilder.com logo and transaction numbers listed along the bottom, you are not apt to suspect anything fishy. This is the trap!

Every victim of this scam fell for it because the original job offer came via e-mail shortly after submitting their resumes to CareerBuilder.com.

About 90% of the job offers are using CareerBuilder.com as their primary form of contact, although a reported few have come from Monster.com and HotJobs.com.

What to do if you are a victim? Every victim has filed complaints with the FBI, FTC, IFCC, Western Union, FedEx, their local General Attorneys and police department with no success or response. I spoke independently with a representative from the Secret Service that claimed in essence, this is the perfect crime. No representative of the United States will step forward to assist with prosecution or extradition because the neighboring countries won't assist. What does this mean? It means that so long as the public isn't aware of what to watch for with these internet scams, then basically the victim is victimized 10 times over.

The victim has to foot the financial bill in addition to possibly facing jail time for passing a counterfeit cashiers check. This also means that money is being stolen from Americans and could very possibly be used to support terrorism. Sound a little far fetched? I don't think so, we don't know who is running this internet scam, the only fact known is that they have made millions, possibly even billions of dollars stealing from us, the Americans.

Online organized crime continues to slip through the cracks making scammers and possibly terrorists rich.

Efforts have been made to contact CareerBuilder.com asking for their assistance with notifying newly registered job seekers of the dangers that easily leak through their system. CareerBuilder.com steps aside from their responsibility by stating that a "fraud" link at the bottom of their pages provides warnings of what to watch for. They neglect to admit that this particular scam isn't listed on that page. They also neglect to admit that they don't inform you that your personal contact information including everything on your online resume is sold for profit. CareerBuilder.com has the funds and the means to assist with putting a halt to these types of scammers, however, they don't and they won't.

If you are angered by the negligence of CareerBuilder.com, feel free to send written correspondence to the following:

1. Chairman -- Robert Montgomery - Robert.Montgomery@careerbuilder.com 2. CEO -- Matt Ferguson - matt.Ferguson@careerbuilder.com

We Need Your Help I have begun a personal crusade to inform the public of this scam and others like it. I have also decided to ask for help from society to offer support to the victims of this scam. They are alone, nobody is stepping up to the plate to help. Why should they have to bare this cross alone? I am a single parent dedicating hours out of my day to publish what I know and effortlessly work to research what the scammers' next steps are going to be. If I had the finances to assist, believe me, I would. I have partnered with another victim of this scam who is footing finances barely available to work towards the same goal as I - stopping organized criminals from ripping off innocent hard working Americans. You may visit our website and offer your contributions toward our efforts at www.webnetpresence.com and www.peopleschronicle.org. A receipt is provided for your contribution in addition to contact information to verify the validity of the donation. Thank you in advance.

In today’s highly competitive economy, it is difficult to maintain a significant market advantage based on your professional skills alone. Developing trusting relationships with your clients is vital to your business success as well. No matter what business you are in, the most powerful value-added contribution you can make to any business relationship is the trust factor.

The trust factor is even more critical in today’s business climate with the level of trust in Corporate America continuing to be at an all-time low, and suspicion of “all things corporate” remaining on the rise. To make matters worse, large corporations and small businesses alike continue to use antiquated techniques, such as gizmos and gadgets, to try to win over new clients. When instead, they should be trying to address the heart of the matter by utilizing trust-building techniques that will most effectively resonate with consumers and new prospects.

Clients and prospects are in search of trust in their business relationships, but building trust and credibility does not happen overnight. To cultivate trust, it takes the risk of being open with clients and prospects. This enables them to perceive you as a real person—one with strengths and weaknesses that come into play as the relationship develops. When trust is reciprocal, you will find that your confidence in others is rewarded by their support and reinforcement of what you also stand for as a business entity.

What is Trust

What is trust? Trust can be defined as a firm belief in the honesty of another and the absence of suspicion regarding his motives or practices. The concept of trust in business dealings is simple: Build on an individual’s confidence in you and eliminate fear as an operating principle.

Letting Go of Fear

Let go of fear, which restricts your ability to relate to others. Letting go frees you of behavioral constraints that can immobilize your emotional and professional development. Fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of success, fear of being hurt, fear of the unknown—all these are roadblocks to developing and growing a trusting relationship with clients. Let go of your fear of losing an account or not having the right answers. Leave all your fears at the client or prospect’s doorstep.

Other critical steps in cultivating trust are knowing who you are and knowing your potential value to your clients. The relationship that forms because of this can have a tremendous impact on your sales. People don’t just buy from anyone. They buy from people they can trust. The rapport and credibility you can establish with the trust factor go a long way toward building a client’s confidence in your ability to meet his business needs.

Trust has both an active and a passive component in a business relationship. The active feeling of trust is confidence in the leadership, veracity, and reliability of the other party, based on a track record of performance.

The passive feeling of trust is the absence of worry or suspicion. This absence is sometimes unrecognized and frequently taken for granted in our most productive relationships.

Building Trust With Care

So how do you build trust with clients? First, you need to care about them. Obviously your clients care about your knowledge, expertise, and accomplishments. However, they care even more about the level of concern you have for them. Successful trust building hinges on four actions: engaging, listening, framing, and committing. The trust factor can be realized once we understand these components of trust and incorporate them in our daily lives.

Engaging clients and prospects occurs when you show genuine concern and interest in their business and its problems. Maintain good eye contact and body posture. Good eye contact signifies openness and honesty. And your body language and other forms of nonverbal communication speak volumes about your attitude toward them. By the same token, you want to be cognizant of your client’s or prospect’s eye contact and body language.

Listening with understanding and empathy is possible if you think about client focus first.
Let the client tell his story. Put yourself in his shoes when you listen to his business concerns, purpose, vision, and desires. Show approval or understanding by nodding your head and smiling during the conversation. Separate the process of taking in information from the process of judging it. Just suspend your judgment and focus on the client.

Framing what the client or prospect has said is the third action in trust building. Make sure you have formed an accurate understanding of his problems and concerns. Confirm what you think you heard by asking open-ended questions such as “What do you mean by that?” or “Help me to understood the major production problems you are experiencing.” After you have clarified the problems, start to frame them in order of importance. By identifying the areas in which you can help the client, you offer him clarity in his own mind and continue to build his trust.

Committing is the final action for developing the trust factor. Communicate enthusiastically your plan of action for solving the client’s problems. Help the client see what it will take to achieve the end result. Presumably, what you have said up to this point has been important, but what you do now—how you commit—is even more important. Remember the old adage “Action speaks louder than words.” Show you want this client’s business long term. Complete assignments and projects on budget and on time. Then follow up with clients periodically to see how your partnership is faring.

In the final analysis, trust stems from keeping our word. If we say we will be there for our clients, then we should honor that commitment by being there. Trust results from putting the client’s best interest before our own, from being dependable, from being open and forthcoming with relevant information. It is impossible to overestimate the power of the trust factor in our professional lives. Truly, trust is the basis of all enduring, long-term business relationships.

About The Author:
Robert Moment is a very innovative business strategist and author of "It Only Takes a Moment to Score." Robert shows entreprenuers how to successfully build and grow profitable service-based small businesses. Visit http://www.howtostartyoursmallbusiness.com and download the FREE Special Report "17 Profitable Ways to Turn Your Ideas into Wealth".

Share this article with coworkers in an email and enter your TOTAL SCORE in the Subject Line, ask for a reply to see how your score relates to others in your organization. Trust is a fundamental foundation for any relationship, business or personal. Without it, the relationship has defined limits and greater risk of gradual erosion or collapse. With Trust, the relationship is exponentially stronger than the sum of the individual contributors.

Score each of the categories on a scale of 1 (low confidence) to 10 (high confidence).

(1) ___ Tolerance: Rate the level of security. How much concern is there about making a mistake? How familiar are you with the term "C.Y.A."?

(2) ___ Confidence: Rate the level of confidence in taking reasonable and measured risks. How much confidence is there with a position or making a decision?

(3) ___ Authority: Rate the level of personal control, the ability to make decisions that pertain to individual specific job responsibilities.

(4) ___ Common Goals: Rate the level of awareness and aligned strategy.

(5) ___ Empathy: Rate the level of compassion and understanding of individual personal objectives and motivation.

(6) ___ Consistency: Rate the level of continuity in decisions, actions and communications.

(7) ___ Integrity: Rate the level of integrity exhibited throughout the organization as exemplified by ethical decisions and actions.

(8) ___ Selflessness: Rate the level of 'self-sacrifice' or parity with regards to activities between management and contributors.

(9) ___ Ownership: Rate the level of personal individual responsibility for success, support of others, and dedication to the common good of the team.

(10) ___ Communication: Rate the level of communication by quality, confidence and honesty (not necessarily the quantity).

Total Score ______ out of 100

How does your score compare with the other people in your organization?

Score 90-100:
A rich environment of trust and confidence that encourages mutual support for common goals. This is an organization that empowers individuals to contribute to shared rewards, as well as an opportunity to experience self-attainment. Individuals within this organization can develop personal talents and enjoy an atmosphere of continuous learning. Even if you feel that you are temporarily in the wrong position, apply your talents and develop your skills and your contributions will deliver lasting personal and professional rewards. The grass really is greener on your side of the fence.

Score 80-90:
This is exceptional. Be proud of your organization and the people around you that treat you like family. Your score indicates that you are honest with yourself, as we as with your coworkers. You have a healthy environment and are willing to acknowledge that there is always a little room for improvement. This is why you will continue to improve, and you will support others to achieve greater goals as well. Create a reminder for yourself to cherish and protect this environment. Some people only realize how good they had it after it is gone. Don't let that happen to you. Recognize, encourage and promote the trust within the organization, and share this experience with your customers and clients.

Score 70-80:
You are beating the odds. This score indicates that you have a foundation of trust, and that there may be some areas for improvement. Compare the different categories for areas of strength. Focus on actions or activities that will promote the areas of strength while you initiate communications to unravel the areas of concern. Sometimes the weak categories are related to specific events, misunderstandings, or possibly even specific individuals. Areas of weakness as illustrated by low scores may take time and planning to remove obstacles and develop trust.

Score 60-70:
There is risk of losing talented individuals. The talent that does not abandon ship will be underutilized and demoralized. The first step to creating an environment of trust is to be honest with yourself, then honest with your peers. Honesty does not mean confrontation with each other, but it may be necessary to confront some difficult topics with fierce and open communications. It will take conscientious effort to improve and sustain, but it is worth the investment of time and energy. Remember that the first step to becoming trusted is to allow yourself to be trusting.

Score Below 60:
The race is on to see who will leave first, typically the customers will be the first to go, and then the employees. Get help, this isn't funny anymore. The employees who stay will feel trapped, as personal perception becomes clouded to believe that there is nothing else better. The confident individuals will eventually recognize another opportunity and go to greener pastures. Loyalty, like trust, is a two way street. The bigger risk is that the individuals who flourish in this type of environment are satisfied with taking advantage of the organization, coworkers, and eventually even the customers.

Reflection
The University of Chicago interviewed 800 Americans in 2002 and discovered that more than 80% had 'only some' or 'hardly any' confidence in the people running major corporations. More to the point, according to the results of the 2002 Golin-Harris survey, 69% of respondents agreed with the statement "I just don't know who to trust anymore". If there is a predominant lack of confidence based on lack of trust, imagine the competitive edge for any company that can offer an environment for individual contributors to flourish with confidence, security and unleashed creativity. Organizations that nurture a culture of trust have an advantage when it comes to hiring and retaining talent. The environment that is fostered inside the organization becomes brilliantly or blazingly apparent to customers, clients and competitors outside it.

______________________________________________________

Words of Wisdom

"It's troubling because a distrustful environment leads to expensive and sometime terminal problems. We hardly need reminding of the recent wave of scandals that shattered the public's faith in corporate leaders. And although you'll never see a financial statement with the line item labeled "distrust", the WorldCom fiasco underscores just how expensive broken trust can be."
- Robert F. Hurley, "The Decision to Trust"

"A person who trusts no one can't be trusted."
- Jerome Blattner

"Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly, and they will show themselves great."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

______________________________________________________

About the Author:
John Mehrmann is a freelance author and President of Executive Blueprints Inc., an organization devoted to improving business practices and developing human capital. www.ExecutiveBlueprints.com provides resource materials for trainers, sample Case Studies, educational articles and references to local affiliates for consulting and executive coaching.

http://www.InstituteforAdvancedLeadership.com provides self-paced tutorials for personal development and tools for trainers. Presentation materials, reference guides and exercises are available for continuous development.

You may distribute this article freely, print it, sell it, or include it as part of a package as long as it is intact, unchanged and delivered in the original format with acknowledgement to Executive Blueprints Inc.

Regardless of what type of website or business you're pursuing on the web, you and your site must be seen as credible in the eyes of your visitors, or it's game over before you even get started. Visitors must believe you are someone who knows their stuff and is worth their time.

Therefore, instantly establishing this credibility is vital to your site's success, especially online where people are still very distrustful of what they see and read. And if you're selling something this distrust meter takes a giant leap of faith.

So here are some eight quick ways to instantly build trust with your site's visitors, and remember, you only have a few nanoseconds to accomplish this difficult task.

So try these quick trust building methods:

1. Credibility Pre header. Many marketers and webmasters try to get or place a credible pre-header above their content, especially if you're selling a product. "America's Affiliate Marketer according to Time Magazine, reveals all his secrets..."

Or something along those lines, but keep in mind, this pre-header must have a neutral third party blurb or statement which can be backed up. Quoting respected important sources such as major magazines, news programs, well known organizations or even other important web sites will instantly help establish your credibility in the mind of the viewer.

That's why on a lot of sites you see such things as As Seen on Oprah, As Seen on CNN, or even the old stand by As Seen on TV will add credibility to what follows... just use the same concept on your own site. While you may not be able to boast those kinds of claims, you can usually come up with some important well known websites which feature your work or content. I like using sites like Featured on Ezinearticles.com, Featured on Buzzle.com, or Featured on SiteProNews. While those places don't have the power of a Larry King, Dr. Phil or Oprah, they do establish some instant credibility in the eyes of your visitor.

2. Picture and Bio. Have your picture and bio at the top of the page so that readers can instantly see who you are. Give your major accomplishments and successes because you must prove that you're worth their time. Many savvy marketers use a two-column page format where one side is used to establish credibility where you place your picture, your bio, any awards your site has won, and tons and tons of testimonials from your visitors and site users.

Use this whole side column all the way down your page to establish your credibility. As readers are reading your content or sales letter, they can glance over to see what you're saying is backed up by other people.

3. Testimonials. As mentioned above, you should have testimonials on your page and plenty of them. These will give credibility to what you're saying. You should also place a few of these testimonials in your main sales letter as well as to use the credibility of the person giving the recommendation to your best advantage.

Many big-name online marketers/gurus do have enormous credibility in the eyes of those reading the content. These testimonials can go a long way in establishing your credibility as well. Use as many as you can possibly get. Don't forget that also adding recommendations from the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and placing secure buttons and logos can also help in establishing your site's credibility.

4. Use Videos. You have probably noticed many people are now using videos on their sites and content. Videos are an excellent way to immediately establish contact and credibility with your viewers. You are indeed a real person and not just some written words floating in cyberspace. Of course, the more personality and likeability you can bring to these videos will help further establish your credibility.

Many marketers and webmasters also use videos for their testimonials. Anyone can make up fake text testimonials and place them on a web page. But actually seeing and hearing 10 or 15 videos of customers talking about your product or content will definitely give you more credibility.

5. Professional Graphics and Design. We have all seen the cheap-looking template site that immediately says template in the mind of the viewer. Now the actual content on this site may be great, but surfers are becoming increasingly web savvy and will know a cheaply designed site when they see one, and immediately hit the back button. Ouch.

Your site must appear professional in the eyes of the beholder. Using professional graphics and design will help you establish immediate credibility for your site. In that split second when you have to capture your visitor's attention, you want to make that all important first impression a good one. You want them to say “This site's a keeper.”

6. Use Social Media Sites. Visitors want to know you're a real person or company, so establishing profiles in all the social media sites such as Twitter, FaceBook, MySpace, YouTube, Linkedin... gives credibility to who's speaking. They can check you out and see what everyone is saying about you. They can discover who your contacts are and what kind of reputation you have built up. These social sites can have enormous influence in building a solid relationship with your visitors. It can definitely help establish your credibility; so use them.

7. Content and Writing. Of course, the proof is in the pudding, your content must be compelling and convincing. It must show you know what you're talking about and that you're worth reading. All the flash and window dressing will be worthless if you don't have quality content on your site.

It is this quality content that will ultimately establish your credibility in the minds of your visitors. All the other factors are important, but what you say and how you say it will be the main determining factor in how much credibility and trust you earn from your site's visitors; so choose your words carefully.

8. Pre-built Credibility. One last point on establishing online credibility has to be discussed. I believe many webmasters don't fully understand the importance of building credibility BEFORE your visitor even gets to your site. Your marketing strategy doesn't just start at your site, it must include building your brand and reputation outside of it.

One obvious example, getting top rankings in Google for your major keywords does give your site a lot of credibility. Or achieving top rankings in any search engine for that matter, but especially in Google, I have found getting top rankings gives credibility to your web pages. People respect Google, and they have come to respect the search results and in turn, some of this credibility is passed along to your site.

Another more important way to "pre-build" or "pre-sell" yourself or your site's content is to write simple articles that are distributed all over the web. Visitors coming to your site from these articles will already be more familiar with you and your information. You have hopefully already gained some credibility in their eyes, and may just be worth checking out.

An effective sales cycle is based on building a relationship of trust with your potential clients. I'm sure you've heard it said before, but it's worth repeating, "People buy from those they like and trust." It is truly as simple as that. Trust is critical. Especially for the service professional and small business owner.

Without trust, it doesn't matter how well you've planned, what you're offering, or whether or not you've created a wide variety of buying options to meet varying budgets. If the potential client doesn't trust you, nothing else matters. They aren't going to buy from you. Period.

All sales start with a simple conversation and are executed when a need is met and trust is assured. The Book Yourself Solid Sales Cycle helps us start the trust building process and helps us systematically, automatically, and authentically move the relationship forward.

If you're good at making friends you'll be good at making sales. Sales is often a confronting subject for many of us but as I mention above the sales conversation is just that - a conversation. If you can talk to people you can make a sale for the betterment of the person that is buying your product or service. It's not about manipulation or coercion.

In order to design a Sales Cycle for your business, you must first establish your 6 Part Foundation and your 6 Part Trust Building Process. The combination of these two exercises will give you a Sales Cycle that will attract more clients than you can handle, even if you hate marketing and selling.

The 6 Part Sales Cycle Foundation - The Who, What, Where, When, Why and How

The foundation on which you rest your Sales Cycle is crucial. You need to have a solid foundation before actually designing a sales cycle. To build a foundation which will give you rock solid security you must clearly and concisely identify the who, what, where, when, why and how. This will ensure that the offers you're making in your 5 Stage Sales Cycle Process are right on target.

- Who Is Your Target Client/Customer? Focus on one person (or organization) within your target market.

- What Are They Looking For? You've got to understand what your ideal client or customer is looking for.

- When Do They Look For You? What needs to happen in their personal life or work life for them to want the kind of service that you offer?

- Why You? What is unique about you or the solutions you offer?

- How Do You Want Them To Engage with You? What is it that you want a potential client to do when they find you?

- The Book Yourself Solid 6 Stage Sales Cycle Process

In creating a sales cycle you'll design a step-by-step way to ease your potential clients from the first stage; getting them to your website, to the end stage; your highest price-point product, program or service.

Stage 1: The idea in this stage is to introduce yourself to your target market and begin to create awareness for the services, products, and programs you offer.

Stage 2: Give/Engage: Now that you've got your prospective client to your website (or other meeting place) you need to offer solutions, opportunities and relevant information in exchange for their email address or other way of continuing the conversation.

Stage 3: Keep giving low-barrier for entry offers of value-rich content, opportunities, experiences etc. Your goal is to build trust and deepen the conversation.

Stage 4: If potential client responds to Stage 3, assess then make an email or verbal offer based on the most appropriate products, programs and services.

Stage 5: If client accepts offer and becomes client/customer, thank them, celebrate and then over-deliver. Surprise them with value.

Stage 6: If prospect does not engage and become a client or customer, still go above and beyond to offer something of unexpected value and keep in touch, keep in touch, keep in touch. Always offering value and deepening the bond of trust between them and you. When they need your services, you will be on their minds.

There are a multitude of ways to build trust with your potential clients and to ease them toward purchasing your higher price point offerings. There is no 'one' right way, so use your imagination and creativity to tailor your sales cycle to what works best, feels most natural, and resonates most with you. This can be done in a 3-stage process or a 15-stage process. It's really up to you, but I've found through experience and research that a 6-stage cycle at a minimum is most effective.

The key is to remember that all of your marketing is about getting your message out to those who most need, and will most greatly benefit from, your services, products, and programs. It's about connecting with your potential clients to develop and deepen genuine relationships based on trust. When you understand and incorporate this philosophy into your marketing, it makes the sales process easy, relaxed and wildly successful.

(c) 2006 Michael Port & Associates LLC. Get more clients with Michael Port, expert marketing coach for small business owners and professional service providers. Free small business resources, networking opportunities, articles, advice and coaching on professional services marketing at michaelport.com. Receive a free chapter from ‘Book Yourself Solid’ at bookyourselfsolid.com